The familiar outline of the buildings in the Forum Romanum seemed to comfort Arria’s frazzled nerves as she strolled along, rubbing the sleepiness from her eyes and yawning from the events of last night. Arria had not too long ago begun her walk from Palatine Hill, leaving the large villa owned by her domina who pointedly gave her orders to bring back more wine from the market. As she walked downward to the Velia and continued onward to the Forum Romanum, she noticed the sun’s early rays glinting off the white marble of the Temple of Vesta ahead of her. Lovely Vesta, please give me luck today, she thought silently as she sent her prayer and realized she truly needed it to get through another stressful night. There would be no time to properly stop and pray today in the temple. She noticed that the long sides of the Basilica Lulia were teeming with people crowding on the colored marble pavement, and wondered what court case was being settled to draw such a rowdy crowd. No time for that either, she thought and sighed to herself as she rushed along.
The Basilica Aemilia soon surrounded her as she walked around the large columns and through arches to find the best shop to buy wine from. After wading through the throngs of other slaves and merchants commencing with their daily business, Arria finally purchased the wine jugs she was supposed to. As she picked them up she strained against their weight, and realized it would add to her exhaustion taking them all the way back up the terrain of the Palatine Hill. She heard the loud voice of a politician speaking in the comitium as she prepared herself wearily for the trek back home. Arria looked longingly at the crowd of people gathering, wishing she could just drop all her chores for the day and join them. Arria hoped her domina and dominus wouldn’t throw an all-night celebration like they did the night before, for then this trip to the market today would be the first of many.
